DESTRUCTIVE cattle have rendered the Ravenswood Heights Primary School oval and grassed grounds unusable in their search for greener pastures, the school's parents and friends association says.
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Ravenswood residents have complained for years about errant cattle straying onto their properties from a nearby farm.
The black angus cattle have been escaping through fences damaged by arsonists and trailbike riders.
Ravenswood Heights Primary School member Rob Goymour yesterday said the damage caused by the venturing bovines was worse at the school, where it would cost $15,000 to resurface the grounds and erect better fencing.
He said the association had raised $6000 for school projects from barbecues and raffles but this money would have to be diverted to fix the school's grassed areas, which were covered in holes.
Mr Goymour said yesterday that parents and the school's groundsman had spent the morning herding five cows away from the school and cleaning up manure.
He said holes left in the school's oval and grass pitches were so dangerous that children were prevented from using it.
``We've had to cancel the athletics carnival, and football is held in the gym,'' Mr Goymour said.
``We just want our kids to be able to play sport again.''
Launceston City Council Deputy Mayor Jeremy Ball said a round-table discussion was scheduled for April 9 to find out what could be done to fix the school's grounds and keep the cows within their boundaries.
He said farmer Grant Heazlewood and representatives from the school, the Education Department, the council, residents and local politicians would be invited to the meeting.